Louisville, KY-Het Playbook, a newly launched knowledge hub and support platform for small fleets and owner operators, made a powerful first performance this weekend on the Mid-America Trucking Show (Mats), which offers a fresh, on-site perspective and left a lasting impression on the industry.
During the three-day event, the PlayBook team handed out more than 500 copies of its inaugural small courier Almanac, a three-month publication full of insights, tools and planning guidance tailor-made at small transport companies. Designed to meet carriers where they are in the cabin, in the garden or in the trench-der de Almanac quickly a must-have source source.
But it was not just about the giveaway action; Hundreds of fleet owners and independent drivers stopped at the stand, hungry for a deeper conversation about business growth, operational knowledge and increasing their position in the supply chain.
“We had incredible conversations with real people who reconsider how they run their truck companies,” said Adam L. Wingfield, co-maker of the playbook. “A movement is happening and we are proud to help lead it.”
Flatbed -Momentum and Market Shifts
Many of those conversations came from flatbed operators, who reported a remarkable peak in rates-a sentiment that is supported by recent tender dismissment data and the increase in loading freight prior to hanging rates. A flatbed from Texas noted: “It is the best it has seen in months. The urgency in the market is finally shifting in our favor.”
This was not only anecdotal. The conversations at Mats showed a growing awareness of macro-economic movements and how data-backed insights-such as they can help in the sources of Playbook-manage to make smarter, more strategic decisions.
Brokers break the fungus
Surprisingly, brokers were also not shy to step into the spotlight. A broker from New Jersey, who specializes in Hazmat Tanker freight, proudly shared that she pays her small fleets and owner operators between $ 3.80 and $ 5.50 per mile room above the national average.
“It’s simple,” she said. “If you want quality service, you have to pay what they are worth. We don’t cut corners, and we don’t nickel and double the people who let the wheels run.”
This approach reflects a silent but powerful trend: a segment of brokers that defines the transactional reputation of freight broker by investing in long -term relationships and transparency.
Trust transactions
The same theme was worn in another remarkable moment, a conversation with a sender who is attending mats for the first time. Her goal was simple and refreshing: “I came here to find a carrier face to be confronted that I can really trust,” she said.
It was a candid memory that although AI, automation and data-driven strategies dominate the headlines, human relationships-built on trust-the-backbone of logistics remain.
Gaps in the reach, and the chance that lies for us
Despite the size and scale of mats, it became clear that large parts of small carriers have never heard of freight waves – a surprising revelation, given the role of a dominant industry.
That is where the playbook enters.
“We are here to bridge that gap,” said Wingfield. “The playbook is the vehicle to bring insights into the caliber of freight waves to the people who need it the most in the trenches, on the road, slim but hungry on a scale.”
A surprising absence and fiery conversations
One of the more unexpected collection restaurants was the absence of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), something that attracted eyebrows among those present, given the positioning of the ATA as the voice of the industry.
“In order not to have them here, when independent carriers drive in this show, speaks,” noted an owner-operator. “You can’t represent people if you are not where people are.”
In the meantime, the FMCSA round table turned into a powder-vat of opinions when the debate on non-English-speaking CDL holders was central. The conversation was passionate and, sometimes, controversial, underlining a growing gap between regulatory policy and the reality of a multilingual workforce that keeps freight throughout the country.
Photo: Kenworth Trucks, Kenworth.com
From Chrome to Cybertrucks: a visual experience
On the floor, Kenworth’s W900 Legacy edition was awe for diehard truck lovers – one of only 1,000 definitive models to produce, each individually numbered in reverse as a definitive tribute to the iconic design.
Just as much Buzworthy was the first stand of Geico, where an oversized, nostalgic claw machine delivered a dose of interactive pleasure and consistently one of the biggest crowds in the Hall Expo. Truck Parking Club also brought the energy, not only with their fascinating team, but with a daring flex: a Tesla Cybertruck that turned heads and filled phones with selfies.
Automatisering, AI and the shipping debate
AI-driven solutions were everywhere this year, in particular in the form of automated shipping services that promised to handle negotiations on brokers, searches and booking processes without human intervention. An AI company bewildered attendees with bots who at the same time could call 100 brokers and offer a look at the near future of digital freight management.
Yet not all were sold. Many experienced dispatchers and owner operators issued both curiosity and caution. “It is impressive, but you still can’t automate crowds or experience,” said a carrier from Georgia.
A first chapter and a growing community
On Friday was by far the busiest day, while the sunshine on Saturday crowds migrated to explore the adapted show truck displays, where Chrome, Lights and Culture clashed in a celebration of the craftsmanship and pride behind trucking.
For the playbook, the debut was about much more than presence – it was about impact.
“We walked in to introduce ourselves, but we walked away knowing that we have a movement behind us,” said Wingfield. “This is just the beginning.”
The post of the Playbook makes a bold debut at Mats 2025 first appeared on trucks.
